Olympic gymnast and Minnesotan Suni Lee has been named the 2021 Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Year for her medal-winning performances in Tokyo at the Summer Games.
Lee, 18, was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, and attended South St. Paul High School before getting a scholarship to Auburn University.
While she won big at the summer games, Lee was left wondering what she would do after spending all her time preparing for the games.
"My whole life, I did gymnastics, and I wanted to go to the Olympics," Lee said to Sports Illustrated. "And now I'm like, 'What do I want now?'"
Most recently, Lee competed on "Dancing With the Stars," where she looked to get another trophy to put beside her gold, silver, and bronze medals. While she was sent home in the semifinal round of the reality TV show, she will be able to add an award to her trophy case thanks to SI.
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Lee has been well known since winning her gold medal in the individual all-around competition. She has had dinner with "The Bachelor's" Matt James, been congratulated by artist SZA, and had a number of celebrities follow her on Instagram.
Because of a change in NCAA rules, Lee can profit from her name, image, and likeness, meaning that she can take endorsements while at Auburn.
However, she has said that she is still working out what companies to work with and how to deal with the fame.
"It's very overwhelming," Lee says. "I'm still trying to figure out how to manage all of it."
